Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-02-10
NIGHT WITH 4 MANIAC.

Ahe AnauiaC Was Siau'' LAG uau
broken his heavy chains as Sampson
broke the withes-had torn open the
door of his cell-torn the keepers lit
orally in pieces-burst the outer door
killed the watchman with heavy
iron bar that he wrenched from the
door-and escaped with his formida-
bic weapon into the city.
The town was aghast with the news /;
and We students at the hospital and
dissecting room, who were connected
with the asylum, had to nerve our
selves to help capture the escaped
wild beast.
had gone to the dissecting room
alone and was about to commence
using the knife on a subject. There
was a storm raging. and with low
sob the wind swelled through the
long aisle of forest trees and dashed
with the gathered force of an ocean
wave against the deadhouse. Stimuli
taneously, a hand struck the light
door and the yell of a maniac rang
through the room.
Above the door, through small
ventilator, the face Of the lnadman
and the murderer peered at me.
ala, hal / have caught you at
last-here-and here alone. have
been waiting for you. You took me
once-didn't you? Ha, hal Let me
in"
The coolness of imminent peril
brought my powers to action. / held
his eye an instant but it was evident
that he was too wild; that his blood
was up, and it roved with eager fe-
rocity through the room and over the
frail walls. With the light bound Of
a leopard l gained the door and shot
the double bolt. A gleam of rage
darted from his eye, but he laughed !:
"Ha, hai You think that you will
keep me out"
He leaped to the ground. In an
instant the light was out.
Wait" / cried. 81 have a weapon
in my hand keen as a razor. 1t is
poisoned by the body I have been
working on. Burst the door and |
will plunge it into your heart. You
may kill me, but I will kill you also,
as certain as there is a God"
The swarth giant shook the door
until its hinges creaked and groaned
beneath his weight. Then laughing
again low to himself he muttered:
Fool | will outwit you yet"
And he stole off in the darkness.
| heard him, for an instant, pressing
against the wall of the building. and
it swayed and bent inwards with his
weight. Then silence. The din Of
my pulses made thunder in my cara.
as tried to hear his stealthy tread.
aud the sobbing wind rose anew with
wierd shrek, aud made my efforts
fruitless.
A hundred times l heard his low
devilish. murderous laugh. A hun
dred times | felt his brawny strength
against the door, aud saw his wild
face look down on me through the
gloom; but still he did not come.
tried to think he had abandoned
the design and skunk off discouraged /:
but / knew he was crouching in some
corner on the watch, to spring upon
me when | passed.
Could | stand there all night? No.
certainly not. An hour more and
Harry Leigh (my young wife's broth
err would come and see me-come
unconscious OF the danger, until a
bloodhound at his throat would choke
the brave young life down there for
ever.
I listened in the intervals Of the
now ftful storm to hear if he was
breathing near me. put my soul
into the sense Of hearing. but no shad-
ow of sound greeted it.
When the storm swelled again
drew the bolt and locked into the
night; black pail hung over the
earth andsky. Ihad as good q chance
to pass him in the obscurity as he to
catch me. With my knife in my teeth
and the massive thigh bone of negro
TO fell hlm with If I must, / drew oa